QWE2002 Tutorial H1 Mr. Robert Sabourin (Amibug.com) Getting Started - Stressing Web Applications, Stress Early - Stress Often

Key Points

This tutorial outlines very practical steps to follow, with real exemples from recent e-commerce projects:
• Test planning: What works or does not work, when to use what tool and technique
• How to avoid blowing the budget for Stress Testing, Load Testing, Performance Testing
• How to set up a test lab which allows for stress testing at the Unit, Integration and System Testing phases.

Presentation Abstract

This tutorial outlines very practical steps to follow when setting out to stress web applications - preferably well before they actually go live. Real examples from recent e-commerce projects are described - what works - what does not work - when to use what tools or technique? How to avoid blowing the budget! What can we tell about the way our application will react to success? Will the application scale? How well? Can we tell? What can we tell? What can we simulate? Can we set up a test lab organization which allows for stress testing at the Unit, Integration and System testing phases?

Techniques used in live e-commercce development sites are described. Where can and should stress testing be implemented, at what stage of development? What do we want to measure, how and why? Practical tools and techniques are reviewed! Examples are from the author's current experience related to testing some key e-commerce sites - noteably the Virtual Model Shopping Experience at www.landsend.com - www.jcpenny.com and many more extremely popular e-commerce sites!

The tutorial also includes elements of test planning and some practical examples of "risk analysis" applied to internet testing!

About the Author

Robert Sabourin has been involved in all aspects of development, testing and management of software engineering projects. Robert graduated from McGill University in 1982. Since writing his first program in 1972, Robert has become an accomplished software engineering and SQA management expert and evangelist (don't tell me it can't de done!). He is presently the President of AmiBug.Com Inc; a Montreal-based international management consulting firm specializing in the implementation of "light effective process" to achieve excellence in delivering on-time, on-quality, on-budget commercial software solutions. AmiBug.Com provides management consulting, training and professional development directly and with various business partners.